Surah 47. Muhammad

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Verses [Section]: 1-11[1], 12-19 [2], 20-28 [3], 29-38 [4]

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Quran Text of Verse 29-38اَمْOr doحَسِبَthinkالَّذِیْنَthose whoفِیْinقُلُوْبِهِمْtheir heartsمَّرَضٌ(is) a diseaseاَنْthatلَّنْneverیُّخْرِجَwill Allah bring forthاللّٰهُwill Allah bring forthاَضْغَانَهُمْ their hatred 47. Muhammad Page 510وَ لَوْAnd ifنَشَآءُWe willedلَاَرَیْنٰكَهُمْsurely We could show them to youفَلَعَرَفْتَهُمْand you would know themبِسِیْمٰىهُمْ ؕby their marksوَ لَتَعْرِفَنَّهُمْbut surely you will know themفِیْbyلَحْنِ(the) toneالْقَوْلِ ؕ(of their) speechوَ اللّٰهُAnd Allahیَعْلَمُknowsاَعْمَالَكُمْ your deeds وَ لَنَبْلُوَنَّكُمْAnd surely We will test youحَتّٰیuntilنَعْلَمَWe make evidentالْمُجٰهِدِیْنَthose who striveمِنْكُمْamong youوَ الصّٰبِرِیْنَ ۙand the patient onesوَ نَبْلُوَاۡand We will testاَخْبَارَكُمْ your affairs اِنَّIndeedالَّذِیْنَthose whoكَفَرُوْاdisbelieveوَ صَدُّوْاand turn awayعَنْfromسَبِیْلِ(the) way of Allahاللّٰهِ(the) way of Allahوَ شَآقُّواand opposedالرَّسُوْلَthe Messengerمِنْۢafterبَعْدِafterمَا[what]تَبَیَّنَ(has been) made clearلَهُمُto themالْهُدٰی ۙthe guidanceلَنْneverیَّضُرُّواwill they harmاللّٰهَAllahشَیْـًٔا ؕ(in) anythingوَ سَیُحْبِطُand He will make worthlessاَعْمَالَهُمْ their deeds یٰۤاَیُّهَاO (you who)الَّذِیْنَ(O) you whoاٰمَنُوْۤاbelieveاَطِیْعُواObeyاللّٰهَAllahوَ اَطِیْعُواand obeyالرَّسُوْلَthe Messengerوَ لَاand (do) notتُبْطِلُوْۤاmake vainاَعْمَالَكُمْ your deeds اِنَّIndeedالَّذِیْنَthose whoكَفَرُوْاdisbelieveوَ صَدُّوْاand turn awayعَنْfromسَبِیْلِ(the) wayاللّٰهِ(of) Allahثُمَّthenمَاتُوْاdiedوَ هُمْwhile theyكُفَّارٌ(were) disbelieversفَلَنْneverیَّغْفِرَwill Allah forgiveاللّٰهُwill Allah forgiveلَهُمْ them فَلَاSo (do) notتَهِنُوْاweakenوَ تَدْعُوْۤاand callاِلَیforالسَّلْمِ ۖۗpeaceوَاَنْتُمُwhile youالْاَعْلَوْنَ ۖۗ(are) superiorوَ اللّٰهُand Allahمَعَكُمْ(is) with youوَ لَنْand neverیَّتِرَكُمْwill deprive youاَعْمَالَكُمْ (of) your deeds اِنَّمَاOnlyالْحَیٰوةُthe lifeالدُّنْیَا(of) the worldلَعِبٌ(is) playوَّ لَهْوٌ ؕand amusementوَ اِنْAnd ifتُؤْمِنُوْاyou believeوَ تَتَّقُوْاand fear (Allah)یُؤْتِكُمْHe will give youاُجُوْرَكُمْyour rewardsوَ لَاand notیَسْـَٔلْكُمْwill ask youاَمْوَالَكُمْ (for) your wealth اِنْIfیَّسْـَٔلْكُمُوْهَاHe were to ask you for itفَیُحْفِكُمْand press youتَبْخَلُوْاyou will withholdوَ یُخْرِجْand He will bring forthاَضْغَانَكُمْ your hatred هٰۤاَنْتُمْHere you areهٰۤؤُلَآءِtheseتُدْعَوْنَcalledلِتُنْفِقُوْاto spendفِیْinسَبِیْلِ(the) wayاللّٰهِ ۚ(of) Allahفَمِنْكُمْbut among youمَّنْ(are some) whoیَّبْخَلُ ۚwithholdوَ مَنْand whoeverیَّبْخَلْwithholdsفَاِنَّمَاthen onlyیَبْخَلُhe withholdsعَنْfromنَّفْسِهٖ ؕhimselfوَ اللّٰهُBut Allahالْغَنِیُّ(is) Free of needوَ اَنْتُمُwhile youالْفُقَرَآءُ ۚ(are) the needyوَ اِنْAnd ifتَتَوَلَّوْاyou turn awayیَسْتَبْدِلْHe will replace youقَوْمًا(with) a peopleغَیْرَكُمْ ۙother than youثُمَّthenلَاnotیَكُوْنُوْۤاthey will beاَمْثَالَكُمْ۠(the) likes of you

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Translation of Verse 29-38

(47:29) Or do they, in whose hearts there is a sickness, believe that Allah will not bring their failings to light?

(47:30) If We were to so will, We could have shown them to you so that you would recognise them by their faces, and you would certainly know them by the manner of their speech. Allah knows all your deeds.

(47:31) We shall certainly test you until We know those of you who truly strive and remain steadfast, and will ascertain about you.

(47:32) Those who disbelieved and barred others from Allah's Way and opposed the Messenger after the True Guidance had become manifest to them, they shall not be able to cause Allah the least harm; rather, Allah will reduce all their works to nought.³⁹

(47:33) Believers, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and do not cause your works to be nullified.⁴⁰

(47:34) Verily Allah shall not forgive those who disbelieved and barred others from Allah's Way and clung to their unbelief until their death.

(47:35) So, be not faint-hearted and do not cry for peace.⁴¹ You shall prevail. Allah is with you and will not bring your works to nought.

(47:36) The life of this world is but sport and amusement.⁴² If you believe and are God-fearing, He will grant you your reward, and will not ask you for your possessions.⁴³

(47:37) If He were to ask you for your possessions and press you (in that regard), you would have grown niggardly, and Allah would have brought your failings to light.⁴⁴

(47:38) Behold, you are those who are called upon to spend in Allah's Way, but some of you are niggardly. Whoever is niggardly is in fact niggardly to himself. For Allah is All-Sufficient, whereas it is you who are in need of Him. If you turn away, He will replace you by a people other than you, and they will not be like you.

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Commentary

39. This sentence has two meanings:

(1) That Allah will render vain and fruitless all those works which they had performed as good works, and they will get no reward whatever for them in the Hereafter.

(2) That all the devices that they are adopting to obstruct the way of Allah and His Messenger’s (peace be upon him) religion will prove ineffective and fruitless.

40. In other words, the deeds being beneficial and yielding of good results depends wholly on one’s obedience to Allah and His Messenger. After one has turned away from obedience, no deed remains a good deed so that one may deserve any reward for it.

41. Here, one should bear in mind the fact that when this discourse was revealed only a handful of the Muslims consisting of a couple of hundreds of the Muhajirin and Ansar living in the small town of Madinah were upholding the standard of Islam and they were not only faced by the powerful Quraish but also by the whole of pagan Arabia. Such were the conditions when they were exhorted not to show weakness and not to beg (the enemy) for peace, but to make preparations for the decisive conflict. This does not mean that the Muslims should never negotiate for peace, but it means that in a state like this it is not right to initiate peace negotiations when it shows the Muslims’ weakness, for it will still further embolden the enemy. The Muslims should first establish their superiority in power and strength; then if they negotiate peace there will be no harm.

42. That is, as against the Hereafter, this world is no more than a means of temporary entertainment. The success or failure here is not anything real and enduring, which might in any way be important. The real life is the life Hereafter, and its success should be man’s main concern. (For further explanation, see (E.N. 102 of Surah Al-Ankabut).

43. That is, Allah is Self-Sufficient: He does not need taking anything from you for His own self. If He tells you to expend something in His way, He does so not for Himself but only for your own good.

44. That is, He does not put you to any severe trial that may bring out your weaknesses.